Showtime picks up new seasons Shameless, House of Lies and Californication

On the heels of record-setting premiere ratings for the network’s Sunday night line-up and continued audience growth, SHOWTIME has picked up new seasons of SHAMELESS, HOUSE OF LIES and Californication. The announcement was made today by David Nevins, President of Entertainment, Showtime Networks Inc. Production on the third season of SHAMELESS, the second season of HOUSE OF LIES and Californication’s sixth will commence in Los Angeles later this year.

The complete press release is included after the jump.

SHOWTIME® PICKS UP NEW SEASONS OF SHAMELESS, HOUSE OF LIES AND CALIFORNICATION

LOS ANGELES, CA – (February 1, 2012) – On the heels of record-setting premiere ratings for the network’s Sunday night line-up and continued audience growth, SHOWTIME has picked up new seasons of SHAMELESS, HOUSE OF LIES and Californication. The announcement was made today by David Nevins, President of Entertainment, Showtime Networks Inc. Production on the third season of SHAMELESS, the second season of HOUSE OF LIES and Californication’s sixth will commence in Los Angeles later this year.

“These three shows are clearly resonating with audiences as evidenced by their steady growth on Sunday nights,” said Nevins. “We are extremely pleased with the creative work being done by the casts, producers and writers – and I so appreciate that each of these series has such a clear and distinctive voice.”

The SHOWTIME Sunday night line-up continues to exceed expectations with double-digit year-over-year growth for its returning series and record numbers for its new comedy. The critically-acclaimed drama series SHAMELESS averages 4.75 million weekly viewers across platforms (On Demand, replays and DVR), up 30 percent versus season one. The series ranks as the network’s No. 2 rated show behind only DEXTER. HOUSE OF LIES debuted as the network’s second highest-rated freshman premiere night ever and is on track to be the network’s highest-rated comedy. The series has faced consistent competition in its Sunday night time-slot since its premiere, but has delivered outstanding numbers across platforms, to average 3.98 million weekly viewers. Season five of Californication averages 2.96 million viewers across platforms, up 10 percent versus its prior season.

From Emmy® Award-winning television and film producer John Wells, SHAMELESS stars Academy Award® nominee William H. Macy and Golden Globe® nominee Emmy Rossum. Season two of SHAMELESS finds our favorite dysfunctional family braving the heat and humidity of summertime in Chicago trying to keep cool…and Frank (Macy) out of trouble. Bearing the de facto parent badge/burden, Fiona (Rossum) spends her nights working at a happening nightclub and her days keeping an eye on Debbie (Emma Keany) and Carl (Ethan Cutkosky) as they run a makeshift daycare center at the house. Meanwhile, brothers Lip (Jeremy Allen White) and Ian (Cameron Monaghan) are toying with the idea of college, while Sheila (Joan Cusack, in her Emmy Award-nominated role) is still housing Frank and making progress with her agoraphobia. As usual, the motley brood somehow manages to hold down the fort and make sure the bills are paid, the lights are on and there is food on the table. Based on the long-running hit UK series, SHAMELESS is executive produced by Wells, Paul Abbott and Andrew Stearn.SHAMELESS is from Bonanza Productions Inc. in association with John Wells Productions and Warner Bros. Television.

HOUSE OF LIES, starring Kristen Bell and Academy Award nominee Don Cheadle, is a timely, dark comedy that dives head first into the Shark Tank known as corporate America. Marty Kaan (Cheadle) is the big-money earner at Galweather & Stearn, along with his hot, young team – The Pod, of big-balling power players – Jeannie (Bell), Clyde (Ben Schwartz) and Doug (Josh Lawson). Marty and The Pod’s work life is all first-class, top-shelf, black Am Ex, the best suites at the nicest hotels. Marty is the ultimate power player and under his direction, this ruthless, pull-no-punches team is here to beat the corporate suckers at their own game – and they’re loving every minute of it. Dawn Olivieri, Donis Leonard Jr. and Glynn Turman also star. The series is based on the hit tell-all book from best-selling author Martin Kihn (House of Lies: How Management Consultants Steal Your Watch and Then Tell You the Time). Produced by SHOWTIME, HOUSE OF LIES is created and executive produced by Matthew Carnahan. Jessika Borsiczky, Stephen Hopkins and Don Cheadle also serve as executive producers.

Californication stars David Duchovny in his Golden Globe Award-winning role as hedonistic novelist Hank Moody, who struggles to raise his teenage daughter Becca (Madeleine Martin), while still carrying a torch for his ex-girlfriend Karen (Natascha McElhone). This season, Moody’s back in L.A. and is hired by a mega-rich rap mogul Samurai Apocalypse (guest star RZA) to write the screenplay for his hot, new film property. Their friendship is tested by silky siren Kali (guest star Meagan Good), a singer who is Sam’s protégé. Charlie (Evan Handler) and Marcy (Pamela Adlon) are co-parenting their son, along with Marcy’s now-husband Stu Beggs (guest star Stephen Tobolowsky), and with the help of a sexy, English nanny (guest star Camilla Luddington). Additional guest stars include Scott Michael Foster, Drea de Matteo and Peter Berg, and Rob Lowe will return as the unpredictable “Eddie Nero” in one episode. Produced by SHOWTIME, Californication is created and executive produced by Tom Kapinos and executive produced by David Duchovny.

Showtime Networks Inc. (SNI), a wholly-owned subsidiary of CBS Corporation, owns and operates the premium television networks SHOWTIME®, THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ and FLIX®, as well as the multiplex channels SHOWTIME 2™, SHOWTIME®SHOWCASE, SHOWTIME EXTREME®, SHOWTIME BEYOND®, SHOWTIME NEXT®, SHOWTIME WOMEN®, SHOWTIME FAMILY ZONE® and THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ XTRA. SNI also offers SHOWTIME HD™, THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ HD, SHOWTIME ON DEMAND® and THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ ON DEMAND, and the network’s authentication service SHOWTIME ANYTIME®. SNI also manages Smithsonian Networks, a joint venture between SNI and the Smithsonian Institution, which offers Smithsonian Channel™. All SNI feeds provide enhanced sound using Dolby Digital 5.1. SNI markets and distributes sports and entertainment events for exhibition to subscribers on a pay-per-view basis through SHOWTIME PPV®.